1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a case for a mobile electronic device, and more particularly to a case for a mobile electronic device such that the case includes a solar cell module. In the present specification, examples of mobile electronic devices include: mobile phones, smartphones, tablet PCs, calculators, portable game machines, music players, electronic book terminal devices, electronic dictionaries, electronic notebooks, and so on.
2. Description of the Related Art
As mobile electronic devices gain more prevalence, various cases and covers for mobile electronic devices are being developed. A case (or a cover) for a mobile electronic device aims to protect the mobile electronic device from impacts and prevent the display section and/or the main body thereof from becoming scratched, for example. Recently, cases or covers have been marketed which not only protect mobile electronic devices from impacts and scratches, but also achieve other functions (e.g., a function of charging the mobile electronic device) while maintaining good aesthetic design.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2013-65426 (hereinafter “Patent Document 1”) discloses a cover for an electronic device that includes: a tray to cover the electronic device on the outside; a dye-sensitized solar cell module which is attached on the rear face of the tray so as to be externally exposed; and a secondary battery. This cover serves to protect the electronic device from impacts or falls, and while thus covering the electronic device, permits power generation with the dye-sensitized solar cell module.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2014-155535 (hereinafter “Patent Document 2”) and Japanese Design Registration No. 1478458 (hereinafter “Patent Document 3”) disclose a case of a so-called book-cover type (which might also be called a notebook type or a pocket-book type) for a mobile information terminal device. This case protects the mobile information terminal device, and also improves the convenience of terminal device manipulation.
There is also known a book-cover type case for an electronic book terminal device, such that the case includes a solar cell module. FIG. 1 schematically shows external appearances of this case 100. The case 100 for an electronic book terminal device includes a solar cell module 101 on a portion 103 that would correspond to the front cover of a book cover. An electronic book terminal device 102 is to be mounted on the inside of the book-cover type case, so as to be charged by the solar cell module 101. When the electronic book terminal device 102 is in use, the book-cover type case is opened, thereby exposing a display surface 105 of the electronic book terminal device 102. When the electronic book terminal device 102 is not in use, the book-cover type case is closed, so that the display surface 105 is covered by the portion 103 corresponding to the front cover of a book cover, whereby the display surface 105 is kept protected.